Fish in the air 1970

Editor: We're looking at Ivan Generalic’s "Fish in the Air," created in 1970. It seems like a whimsical watercolor painting depicting a massive fish floating above a landscape with an unassuming fisherman below. What catches your eye from a formal perspective? Curator: The immediate contrast lies in the scale. Observe the disproportion between the fisherman, seemingly unperturbed, and the gargantuan fish dominating the aerial space. Note the painterly application of watercolor, particularly in the meticulous rendering of the fish scales against the flatness of the sky. The high horizon line and flattened perspective compresses the landscape. The color palette, subdued earth tones punctuated by the fish’s reddish fins and the red boat, creates visual tension, doesn't it? Editor: It certainly does. So, is this just about playing with perspective and colour? Curator: Not 'just.' The meticulous realism in depicting impossible scenarios brings into play questions around how we understand representation itself. Note, also, how the hook is not simply 'in' the fish but integrated as a kind of bizarre facial extension, thus suggesting this relationship might signify themes beyond nature or angling itself. Do you see the subtle interaction between this improbable 'catch' and the wider commentary this creates within the painting? Editor: I do. The integration of the hook makes the unreal almost tangible, adding to the symbolic tension. Thank you, I’ve learnt a lot about this interesting approach. Curator: Indeed, a close examination shows us that its structural peculiarities, seemingly bizarre juxtapositions, allows to consider a far more interesting game with representation.